1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a seal member for sealing a supply port of an ink tank used in an inkjet printing apparatus and an ink tank unit including a supply port sealed by the seal member.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of two types of ink tank is mounted in an inkjet printing apparatus: an ink tank of an integrated type that is integrally provided in an ejection head for ejecting ink onto a recording medium or an ink tank of a separate type that is provided separately from an ejection head.
In general, ink tanks of a separate type are stored in the form of ink tank units until the ink tanks are mounted in inkjet printing apparatuses. The ink tank unit has a seal member for sealing a supply port used for supplying ink. The seal member is bonded to the supply port.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-286113 describes such a seal member for sealing a supply port. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the seal member has an adhesive substrate 1003 having an ink absorbing member 1002 embedded in a supply port 1001 of an ink tank 1000.
However, the seal member described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-286113 absorbs a large amount of ink while being distributed and sold. Accordingly, when the ink tank is unsealed, ink that the ink absorbing member cannot preserve spills out. The spilled-out ink may be scattered and, thus, may be transferred to the arms, clothes of a user.